Sssshhh....I'm listening

 

The Importance of Listening

        Let's face it, as a paralegal, you have to do a lot of listening.  You listen to your co-workers, your supervising attorney(s), your clients, and others.  Are you listening correctly to achieve the end goal as the front lines at your firm?

        Coming soon is my five part series on effective listening skills.  I welcome any suggestions for information to include.  I intend to cover various types of questions you can ask which I learned through Collaborative Divorce, and which can apply to any practice area.  

        In the meantime, start thinking about your own listening skills and send me your comments with any tips and tricks you think should be included in this series!

Update that Website!

Keep it Current!

        The firm I work for recently had a meeting to discuss updating our website.  Highly informative! Some things I knew, some things I didn't.  I wanted to share some of the information I learned with you! 

        Your firm, whether large or small, is one of approximately 1 billion websites, at least!  Each and every one of those sites want to be seen!  Depending on your role at your firm or organization, being a paralegal may include helping with marketing. The firm I work for in Connecticut, The Law Offices of Donna Buttler, is small, and I welcome you to visit the website at www.dbuttler.com.  We haven't made changes to the site, but plan to soon.  (As an aside - I'm trying to create a list on this website of firms and resources, please send me your comments with firms around the country I can include!)

        You should make periodic updates to your website.  Whether these are big changes (such as adding new attorney profiles or an entire new section of your site such as a blog), or small (such as adding new language to an existing section of your website, i.e. FAQ), this will help search engines notice you. 

        Make sure you schedule periodic reviews of the website to ensure everything is up to date. You want people who find your site to receive relevant and current information. 

        Try creating a blog.  Having a routine where you create a new post can keep your website fresh.  You can also link this to your Facebook or other social media accounts to keep those active.

        Don't underestimate the power of social media.  Odd as it may seem, more and  more people are reviewing social media pages for companies when making decisions on who to do business with.  

        Ask for reviews! Don't feel ashamed to ask your clients to provide a blurb for your website or ask them to go to sites such as SuperLawyers to post a review.  This could be a great conversation after a successful outcome for a client. 

        The only way any business can succeed is to be known, and your webpage is the first thing many people will see.  Keep it current and keep the new client's coming in!

        Consider your website to be vital to the health of your company, but don't forget to prioritize your own health!  If you need a safe outlet, Better Health may be able to help!

                                          https://www.betterhelp.com/rpc/4ccc425357094062-1-01

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Prioritize Your Health

 

YOUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT!

    Ok, maybe this goes without saying but your health is important!!!  In a "normal" world life can be stressful.  You are only going to be as good at work as your health.  Take a moment to prioritize you!!!

Go to the doctor Make time for those annual wellness checks; your employer should be fine with this!!!! If your supervisor truly gives you a hard time about prioritizing your health, talk to your Human Resource department or manager!  We learned about it when we were kids (or maybe I'm aging myself!)

Take time off Give yourself a break!  Don't be one of those employees that doesn't take any time off.  We all need a break from time to time and not only when we are sick.  

Use that lunch break! Most employers give you a lunch break, whether paid or unpaid.  Don't make the mistake I did in the past and not take that break! People will start expecting it of you.  Go to lunch - leave the office if you need to. Perhaps go for a walk, make a phone call, etc.  Something to disconnect for a little while. 

Ask for help Don't get overwhelmed.  Take a minute if you need to and ask for help if it's busy.  Your attorney should be more than willing to help you prioritize your tasks if you are unsure what to do first.  There are some times when there is too much to do.  It's okay to let someone know!  We all need help sometimes!

Leave work at work  So you leave the office at 5:00 - did you mentally leave?  If you clock out of the day or weekend, leave work! Don't worry about it until you get back in.  Don't get me wrong - we all think about work from time to time when we are not there, but don't let it occupy your time.  Do your absolute best during the time you are there every day.  When you leave, take some time for you! A topic I plan to explore in future posts is finding balance between your personal life and work life!

Remember that mental health matters  Mental health is part of your overall wellness.  If you ever feel like the combination of work and home becomes overwhelming, or you need a safe place to vent, it's okay to go to therapy!  Follow this link for a free week with Better Health! Some of the work we do is stressful and between that and our home life, it's okay to need to talk!

https://www.betterhelp.com/rpc/4ccc425357094062-1-01

Let's Get Organized!

 

    It's no secret that being organized is key to being productive....or is it?  I've walked into countless offices that are a disaster zone!  When the individuals responsible for the disasters were not in the office for one reason or another, those of us covering for them were unable to find things we needed when clients call.  When a client calls, they clearly need something - and there's nothing worse than needing to come up with an excuse for why you can't provide that something!

    We can't control whether or not other people are organized, but we can control if we are.  In case you needed convincing, here are some reasons to get organized: 

Increase your productivity.  If a client calls and you can find their file without a full on scavenger hunt, inquiries will take less time.  If your attorney is at court and your electronic file is as organized as the physical file, you will be able to help them easier, making them more productive.  Less time wasted searching increases available time to work. More time available to work means more billable time. More billable time means more revenue.  More revenue means you get a paycheck, and hopefully an increase in pay!

Less stress! A stressed paralegal is never able to be an adequately productive paralegal.  Can you think of any reason you would want to create a situation where you are stressed if it can be avoided? 

You can meet deadlines  Organization isn't just about keeping the physical and electronic copies of your files organized.  It's about having your deadlines and reminders calendared in such a way as you don't lose track of them and you're starting prep earlier than later!

You can find your supplies! According to a 2012 paper entitled The Price of Disorganization in the Workplace, 87% of workers indicated a cluttered workplace decreased productivity.  Keep that desk clean!

Save Money for your Firm! That very same paper which said clutter more or less means we aren't getting work done said that at that time, $177 billion on average is wasted in money when you factor in time spent searching for items and computer files.  That's a lot!

Safety A cluttered workplace can lead to injury, especially if that clutter reaches the floor.   I actually had a co-worker who kept her area so cluttered she tripped and broke her toe while trying to get around various items at her desk!  

    The reality is there is only so much time in a day. Why waste it unnecessarily searching for supplies, files, documents, etc.?  Your time is so much more valuable than that! You're bound to be calmer if you aren't stressed about how to meet deadlines and locate files and related materials.  You'll probably be more confident in your abilities too!  And I'd like to think you will likely start thinking of more and more ways to be creative (and even more organized) if you are organized to begin with. 

    Here are some other articles you may find interesting.  While you read these, I'm going to clean the office! 

https://www.paylessoffice.com/articles/organizing

https://theproductivityexperts.com/7-reasons-why-being-organized-boosts-productivity/

https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/benefits-of-keeping-organized-at-work

   

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Paralegal Venting

 

    Sometimes we all need to vent and get some things off our chest, therefore, I hereby welcome you all to the first (hopefully of a weekly series) of Paralegal Venting!  To get this started I'd like to explain why I think this is important!  

    If you are like me, you probably work for someone other than yourself. Regardless of how much you may get along with your co-workers attorneys you work with, between co-workers, attorneys and clients, something is bound to frustrate you from time to time.  We all need healthy ways to get that frustration out.  

    

    Some of us don't want to vent for fear of others considering it complaining.  Great news; there is a huge difference!

    No workplace can be perfect.  You're going to have co-workers you just click with and you're going to have some you simply don't.  There will be attorneys that are easier to work for than others.  

    Some things I've personally found that help:

    ~ When you are overwhelmed, talk to a close friend or family member, they may have good advice.

    ~ Take a deep breath - you don't want to say anything in the moment.

    ~ Make sure it's not you that is the "problem".....there have been days that everyone is irritating me, but upon taking a day to think, I was having a rough day for other reasons and it may not have been them.

    ~ If there are larger issues, maybe how things are filed, how tasks are addressed, and they can be done differently to reduce stress (especially if it impacts more than just you!), don't be afraid to propose change.  You may be saying what someone else was thinking! Talk to your co-workers even to get input. 

    If you have a workplace venting you'd like to share, I'd love to hear about it!

    When all else fails - take a minute to laugh.  One thing that made me laugh today, and maybe it will help you laugh too, was the "advice" I overheard given to a client in a dissolution matter to go out and get herself a high end vibrator.....you can't make this stuff up!!

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A workplace venting to share??

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Ramblings On News

 

Connecticut's Ban on Porn in Jail

      

    In the legal world, sometimes articles I read just baffle me, like this one about a lawsuit in connection with Connecticut's ban on porn in jails (https://www.courthousenews.com/connecticut-defends-prison-porn-ban-as-boon-to-female-staff/) 

    First of all, I want to make it clear I value the legal system and what it stands for. I think when used appropriately, the legal system is a wonderful thing.  That said, I think some lawsuits are absolutely ridiculous and a waste of court resources.

    For example, porn in jails.......how on earth did this even become a possible discussion?  Let's say you're in jail.  Although there are some exceptions to the rule, most individuals are incarcerated because they did something wrong, and therefore were placed in a prison where they presumably have less rights.  Sure, you're supposed to be learning and rehabilitating. Personally, I think entertainment in any way shape or form is a privilege and ultimately, should be limited because isn't the entire point to make sure people don't want to go back? You can't get your Playboy subscription, so you file a lawsuit. Seriously? It's something to look forward to when you are out of jail!

    So I read this article and I'm first thinking, Connecticut made instituted a ban in 2012 saying no porn, no Playboy, etc.  I'm fairly certain an individuals right to Playboy is not a guaranteed liberty we have.  

     I found myself thinking like the parent I am, rather than a paralegal.  

            ~    Those walls aren't yours.  

            ~    You don't get to pick what gets hung on them.  

            ~    You are an inmate residing in and in the custody of the State. 

            ~    If a rental property can tell you not to hang pictures on the walls with nails, and a parent can tell a child not to hang inappropriate pictures, the State should be able to say no nude pictures if they so choose. 

    Then I'm thinking, there's far too much reference to the need to make sure female employees are not unfairly subjected to pornography.  I'm not sure why there needs to be such a focus on female employees in this lawsuit.  As a general rule of thumb, I've never encountered a work place where pornography or suggestive images are allowed, so whether it should or shouldn't be available to inmates, and hung on their cell walls, in my opinion seems simple.  It shouldn't have anything to do with the gender of some of the employees.

   Now I think about the workplace.  If I came to work and my co-worker had porn or nude pictures on their wall or in their cubicle, I don't think I'd be comfortable.  And let's face it, at this point it's not about who wants to see what, I can't imagine many who wouldn't either be uncomfortable and/or distracted.

    A work environment needs to be comfortable for everyone there.  So it seems realistic to expect that if there are things that are seriously questionable as to if their presence would make the workplace uncomfortable for the majority of the employees, that it should come down.  I'd like to think that porn would be a no brainer. 

    I'm not really sure what is more ridiculous about this lawsuit - that prisoners were able to combine their efforts and hire attorneys to defend their rights to read Playboy, post nude pics, or the like, or that the State needs to waste resources, financial and otherwise, to defend why a rule they made to protect the rights of their employees, which may not make the prisoners happy, is the rule.  

    Imagine if our children could do this when we set rules! 🤣

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Welcome!

 

Welcome!

        I am honored that you are here reading my blog! I have been a paralegal for 13 years, most recently working in family law, an area of practice I absolutely love! There are so many things I have on my mind and I look forward to sharing them with you. 

        If you have a blog of your own and would like me to include a link, please let me know! I'd love to read and follow your posts!  I'd also love to do a featured post for you - either a post you write to accompany the link to your blog, or to co-write a post on the topic of your choice.  

        If you have suggested topics for discussion or questions, let me know!  

        Do you have a firm or legal resource you would like listed?  Please send me the information in the suggestions form and I'll take a look!  Ideally, I would love to fill my blog with links to as many firms and resources as possible in all states! 

        

THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCOVERY - PART 2 - Organization!!!

 

THE IMPORANTANCE OF DISCOVERY

PART 2

Organization!

    Something I don't think can be stressed enough in the legal field is the need to be organized.  In my opinion, this is not something that is optional. You cannot be semi-organized.  You can not be organized only when necessary.  You have to be organized from the start, and you need some type of a method to stay organized. 

    Some larger firms may have a procedure you have to follow.  Some may let you take the lead, i.e., there's not a required way to be organized but it is expected that you will be (like the smaller firm that I work for).  Regardless of the way the firm, office, or even corporation or government agency you may work for is set up, you must be organized too!

    The topic of this mini-series of blog posts I am completing is regarding discovery, and therefore my focus will be on how I feel organization directly relates to the discovery process.  As you may have read in my prior post, the first step in discovery, again in my opinion, is to get to know the rules in your jurisdiction regarding discovery requests.  

    But then what??

    You sent out the requests for documents, you tracked the deadline, and now you have hundreds of pages to filter through.  It's okay! Breathe!  

    This is how I generally tackle these projects:

    1.    I spread out the documents for review.  If you don't have enough space or quiet at your desk, grab find out if you can reserve a conference room for yourself. Most firms have small areas you can go to. 

    2.    I then sort documents - bank statements, mortgage statements, land records etc.  I then find it helpful to further sort them, i.e., individual statements, joint statements, etc.  

    3.   Once I've sorted, I inventory the documents.  To do this, I use a simple spreadsheet with basic categories, as follows:

    You can clearly set up your spreadsheet to include more detailed fields if that helps you with your organization.  The reason I love my inventory is it ultimately becomes a cheat sheet for me!  Now when my attorney asks if I have bank statements from the Plaintiff, I can jump to that section and cite the bank(s), account number(s), dates of statements, and the last time we received those documents.  It's incredibly helpful - especially when preparing for hearings or conferences!  As a side note, I find it helpful to ensure the parties are listed on the top center of the document, i.e., Jones v. Jones, Docket No.: ABC-123-XYZQRS.  In the top right corner I note the date the inventory was last updated.  Finally, I find it helpful to list on the top left the dates production requests were sent, sort of a quick reference cheat sheet.

    4.    Scan!!!  This is so important.  Yes, it can be very time consuming, but it's well worth the time! There are a couple of reasons for this that I can immediately think of. 

            a)    Something happens to your paper file. (Maybe your attorney spilled their coffee....) No problem! You can duplicate the records!

            b)      You need to redact information.  Easy in Adobe Pro and similar programs!!  And you can maintain a clean and redacted copy. 

            c)     E-discovery and e-production are huge!  Being able to quickly find documents makes you more productive.  Who wants to scan every time they need to send something? Or pull a file every time they need to review a document?

        Your scanned file should be a clone of your physical file to the greatest extent possible.  (As an aside, when you go to close your file, because you've been scanning all along, you will already have everything scanned!)

    5.    File physical copies into folders, or in binders with tabs.  This I've done both ways and find that when space allows, I prefer binders.  You may or may not want/need a coding system for labels or tabs.  When using folders, since I primarily work in family law, I found it helpful to have different colored labels for the Plaintiff, Defendant, children's assets and joint assets.  

    6.    Keep it updated! This is critical! When you get new documents, add them to the inventory, scan them and file them!  You don't want to forget a document or let the pile become unnecessarily huge if you can avoid it. 

 

    Having a handle on your document production is crucial to the success of any case, no matter how big or small. I hope these tips are helpful!

    Is there something you do that helps you keep control of your document production that you would like to see shared with your collogues?  Let me know in the suggestions section on the left side of the screen! 

Have any suggestions? Topics you'd like to see covered?

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